Billiard ball rack for three balls

ABSTRACT

A ball rack for billiard game. The ball rack of the present invention accommodates three billiard balls so it can be used in a three-ball billiard game.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the general art of games, and to the particular field of billiards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Billiards or pool games are extremely popular with people of all ages. In playing the game of pocket billiards, the balls are typically arranged on the surface of the billiards table via a racking frame. For the game commonly known as eight-ball, fifteen balls are placed within an independent triangular frame which is moved on the table until the balls are in a desired spot, after which the frame is removed leaving the balls on the table in a specific formation or “rack”. The most common formation used in billiards is the triangular arrangement of the balls, but there are various other configurations used by billiards players, for example, a diamond arrangement used for the game of nine-ball.

When forming a pattern with frame racks, it is desirable to compact the balls into a tight group. This gives a truer “break” of the group of balls when they are struck by the cue ball. As a player's skill increases, the initial breakup of the rack may become an important opportunity for placing individual balls into definite locations on the table. The ability for such precise performance is dependent on the form and angle of the cue ball's contact with the racked balls. In order for the player to have such control, it is desired that the balls in the rack be as close together as possible. The optimal formation of the balls has every ball in direct contact with its neighboring balls.

Even with a skilled user, a tight pattern is not easily obtained using a simple frame or rack. This is due to the fact that the racks ordinarily used are sized to define an enclosure which is slightly larger than the group of balls. To tighten the ball formation, users sometimes touch the balls directly to urge the balls together. However, when the user removes his fingers from inside the rack, he will often inadvertently upset the pattern without knowing it due to a certain amount of adhesion between the user's fingers and the balls.

At the start of each pool game, the balls are placed in the rack which positions the balls into the proper placement for the start of the game and they are then placed in a proper position on the table. In a normal game of pool, fifteen balls are placed in the rack in a pyramid shape. There are other pool games, however, where only nine balls are used and still other pool and billiard games where various amounts of balls are used.

Referring to the more common game of pool where fifteen balls are used, the 15 balls are placed into the rack, placed in the proper position on the table and then the player must carefully lift the rack vertically upward attempting not to touch the balls or jimmy them in any manner whatsoever so that the balls are not moved out of the proper position.

With the standard solid pool rack, even with the utmost of care, the player can often disturb the balls thus making a loose or out of position rack of balls. This problem is exacerbated when less than fifteen balls are used, and the fewer the balls, the worse the problem.

In recent years there has been a resurgence in the popularity of pocket billiards. This renewed interest has paralleled a growing nationwide fascination with fast-paced games of skill, intellect and strategy. Billiards has been recognized for the challenge and strategic complexity offered to players of all levels of experience.

Television has proved a particularly important medium for presenting competitive amateur and professional games to nationwide audiences. The popularity of “game” shows has focused the attention and interest of the television industry upon games suitable for the television viewing public.

Billiards has received increasing recognition by the television industry in the presentation of professional tournaments. The popularity of billiards for non-professional game shows, however, has been limited by the difficulty and level of expertise required for the game to proceed at a pace suitable for television audiences.

Developments in the electronic and computer game technologies have also presented the need for fast-paced challenging games of skill and strategy. As in the television arts, it is necessary for such games to be of short duration. A billiard game which incorporates the challenge and strategic aspects of traditional billiards, but which is fast paced and of short duration is likely to be well-received in the communication industries.

Since the racks known to the inventor are sized to accommodate seven, nine, or fifteen balls, these racks cannot be efficiently used for a game which uses only three balls. Since three ball billiard games are very popular, there is a need for a rack that can properly accommodate three billiard balls.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-discussed disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by a ball rack for billiard game. The ball rack of the present invention accommodates three billiard balls so it can be used in a three-ball billiard game.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball rack embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the ball rack shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in a one-piece triangular shaped rack 10 which is sized to snugly accommodate only three balls 12, 14 and 16 so these balls can be properly racked to begin a game of three ball billiards. The rack can be plastic or wood as suitable. The one-piece nature of the rack permits it to securely hold no more than the three balls in place.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. 

1. A billiard ball rack system consisting of: A) three billiard balls; and B) a one piece triangular rack sized to snugly accommodate the three billiard balls.
 2. A billiard ball rack comprising a one-piece triangular wall which is sized to snugly enclose no more than three billiard balls.
 3. A billiard ball rack comprising: a one piece triangular rack sized to snugly accommodate no more than three billiard balls. 